How To Dispose Of Drugs

[JuniorExPat]

Been having a clear out at Chez JxP and have a stash of various prescription and over the counter drugs, some are past the expiry date and some are not.

Is there a responsible way to safely dispose of these things? Do pharmacies take them and if so do they do more than just toss them in the rubbish?

And before I get singed by the flames, yes, I'm being habitually lazy about this and asking the experts here before actually getting off my butt to visit a pharmacy or call a doctor!

Any pearls of wisdom?

JxP

[cloudhopper]

Incinerate them.

Or just flush em down the toilet like everyone else does so they eventually turn up in the filtered drinking water everyone thinks is so safe.

[alexisthetiny]

Used kitty litter. Mix the drugs with it and tie it up in a bag. Should discourage people from trying to take them and won't contaminate the water system.

[Cuban]

...responsible way to safely dispose of these things?

Depends on your POV, wish to ensure kids/animals don't eat them. Beware of the smoke/vapours but burning gets rid of most things - I'm sure some drugs will cause issues when burnt but is that a lesser evil than dumping into the water supply?

Do pharmacies take them and if so do they do more than just toss them in the rubbish?

Good question, if in date would they resell them or under orders from the drug companies to destroy all to ensure new drugs are purchased.

The response from a goverment agency would be interesting.

[Lordfoul]

Burning them is just an indirect way of dumping them in the water supply. Some chemicals will go into the atmosphere and come down with the rain. They rest will be part of the ash which also has to be disposed of.

...responsible way to safely dispose of these things?

Depends on your POV, wish to ensure kids/animals don't eat them. Beware of the smoke/vapours but burning gets rid of most things - I'm sure some drugs will cause issues when burnt but is that a lesser evil than dumping into the water supply?

Do pharmacies take them and if so do they do more than just toss them in the rubbish?

Good question, if in date would they resell them or under orders from the drug companies to destroy all to ensure new drugs are purchased.

The response from a goverment agency would be interesting.

[cloudhopper]

Burning them is just an indirect way of dumping them in the water supply. Some chemicals will go into the atmosphere and come down with the rain. They rest will be part of the ash which also has to be disposed of.

Yes of course everything ends up in the groundwater. But do you want drugs ending up there, or do you want basic atomic end products of their combustion? All of the chemical/biological warfare weapons are disposed of by incineration, and this is widely accepted as the best way. I wouldn't trust a pharmacy or government agency here to dispose of anything properly.

[Lordfoul]

I want neither, Thank You for asking.

Burning them is just an indirect way of dumping them in the water supply. Some chemicals will go into the atmosphere and come down with the rain. They rest will be part of the ash which also has to be disposed of.

Yes of course everything ends up in the groundwater. But do you want drugs ending up there, or do you want basic atomic end products of their combustion? All of the chemical/biological warfare weapons are disposed of by incineration, and this is widely accepted as the best way. I wouldn't trust a pharmacy or government agency here to dispose of anything properly.

[tigerbeer]

if its good enough for the human body, i reckon it can do much harm when compared to the extensive list of dangerous chemicals out there. just toss off over soil and recycle the empty bottles. insects might love the sugar content in them i am sure most of the medications you store at home are sugar filled stuff!

TB..

[Lordfoul]

Just as long as you don't burn them. I don't want caramel in my water supply.

if its good enough for the human body, i reckon it can do much harm when compared to the extensive list of dangerous chemicals out there. just toss off over soil and recycle the empty bottles. insects might love the sugar content in them i am sure most of the medications you store at home are sugar filled stuff!

TB..

[JuniorExPat]

I should have known better!

Thanks for (most of) the replies, I certainly won't be burning them, nobody burns rubbish any more . . . do they? I'll keep hold of them until I next pay a visit to the pharmacy or the doctor and report back on what I find out.

JxP

[JuniorExPat]

Troll

As far as I can remember I think this is the first time that I have been accused of trolling and I'm quite surprised at how insulted I feel.

Never mind, I'm sure I'll get over it . . .

JxP

[mrtoad]

Just take them along to your local hospital's pharmacy department.

Edited September 4, 2008 by mrtoad

[highonthai]

Just a question, but how would you toss them out in you own country?

Come on, Is this even a question you have to ask here?

Some of the questions that are asked here are starting to insult my intelegence (which isn't much)

Edited September 4, 2008 by highonthai

[Cuban]

...accused of trolling and I'm quite surprised at how insulted I feel.

Never mind, I'm sure I'll get over it . . .

Take a pill - you'll feel better.

[JuniorExPat]

Just a question, but how would you toss them out in you own country?

When I was last living there, pharmacies had bins for collecting unused and expired medicines.

Come on, Is this even a question you have to ask here?

And before I get singed by the flames, yes, I'm being habitually lazy about this and asking the experts here before actually getting off my butt to visit a pharmacy or call a doctor!

Some of the questions that are asked here are starting to insult my intelegence (which isn't much)

Indeed.

JxP

[Blinky Bill]

I'm amazed that Muck opened this thread. Seemed to be an invitation for flaming.

[percy2]

Throw them in a trash can at your local hospital.

Cheers

[Blinky Bill]

I recall about 15 yrs ago I was looking at a vacant block of land to lease on Suthep Road, opposite Suandok Hospital. As I was wandering around this rather large, overgrown block I came across a pile of used intravenous tubes with the needles attached. Most of these tubes and needles were bloody and many still had bags attached with some of whatever they were pumping into the previous user in them. Would have been a great toy for kids to find and play with.

Hopefully Suandok Hospital has improved their disposal methods since then.

[gpdjohn]

I recall about 15 yrs ago I was looking at a vacant block of land to lease on Suthep Road, opposite Suandok Hospital. As I was wandering around this rather large, overgrown block I came across a pile of used intravenous tubes with the needles attached. Most of these tubes and needles were bloody and many still had bags attached with some of whatever they were pumping into the previous user in them. Would have been a great toy for kids to find and play with.

Hopefully Suandok Hospital has improved their disposal methods since then.

" Hey Pim, let's play combat medic.. you're the guy who has been fragged and I'm a 91B and supposed to run precious fluids into your arms with these perfectly good needles someone just left laying around for us to use...to bad they didn't leave some auto-injectors, those feel good in the chest"

[Crow Boy]

I have removed a bunch of offtopic, abusive, inane and otherwise unacceptable posts. The topic is simple and reasonable - keep it on topic and civil or don't post. Not difficult guys

My personal suggestion to the OP is to take any unused pharmaceuticals to a hospital and ask them to dispose of them. The other suggestion is this, if you have been prescribed a course of medicine you should take the complete course not stop part way through.

Cheers and hope you have fully recovered

CB

[john b good]

I should have known better!

Thanks for (most of) the replies, I certainly won't be burning them, nobody burns rubbish any more . . . do they? I'll keep hold of them until I next pay a visit to the pharmacy or the doctor and report back on what I find out.

JxP

If you give them to a pharmacy (some not all) will probably sell them on. Flushing down the dunny is about as good as you can get.

Most places (or many) have black water holding tanks and a few pills ain't gonna make too much difference what with all the other <deleted> that goes in.

Just think about it "shampoo, detergent, paa on omai, etc., etc.,"

Edited September 6, 2008 by john b good

[farangene]

When my dad died in the US, I gave all his prescription drugs to a veterinarian for use on animals. Doctors and pharmacists didn't want them and a friend recommended this course of action.